Periodic Reporting

Published date30 August 2019
Citation84 FR 45699
Record Number2019-18748
SectionProposed rules
CourtPostal Regulatory Commission
Federal Register, Volume 84 Issue 169 (Friday, August 30, 2019)
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 169 (Friday, August 30, 2019)]
                [Proposed Rules]
                [Pages 45699-45700]
                From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
                [FR Doc No: 2019-18748]
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                POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION
                39 CFR Part 3050
                [Docket No. RM2019-12; Order No. 5211]
                Periodic Reporting
                AGENCY: Postal Regulatory Commission.
                ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.
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                SUMMARY: The Commission is acknowledging a recent filing requesting the
                Commission initiate a rulemaking proceeding to consider changes to
                analytical principles relating to periodic reports (Proposal Seven).
                This document informs the public of the filing, invites public comment,
                and takes other administrative steps.
                DATES: Comments are due: September 26, 2019.
                [[Page 45700]]
                ADDRESSES: Submit comments electronically via the Commission's Filing
                Online system at http://www.prc.gov. Those who cannot submit comments
                electronically should contact the person identified in the FOR FURTHER
                INFORMATION CONTACT section by telephone for advice on filing
                alternatives.
                FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David A. Trissell, General Counsel, at
                202-789-6820.
                SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
                Table of Contents
                I. Introduction
                II. Proposal Seven
                III. Notice and Comment
                IV. Ordering Paragraphs
                I. Introduction
                 On August 23, 2019, the Postal Service filed a petition pursuant to
                39 CFR 3050.11 requesting that the Commission initiate a rulemaking
                proceeding to consider changes to analytical principles relating to
                periodic reports.\1\ The Petition identifies the proposed analytical
                changes filed in this docket as Proposal Seven.
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                 \1\ Petition of the United States Postal Service for the
                Initiation of a Proceeding to Consider Proposed Changes in
                Analytical Principles (Proposal Seven), August 23, 2019 (Petition).
                The Postal Service filed a notice of filing of public and non-public
                materials relating to Proposal Seven. Notice of Filing of USPS-
                RM2019-12/1 and USPS-RM2019-12/NP1 and Application for Nonpublic
                Treatment, August 23, 2019. The Postal Service also filed a Revised
                Notice of Filing of USPS-RM2019-12/1 and USPS-RM2019-12/NP1 and
                Application for Nonpublic Treatment--Errata, August 26, 2019.
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                II. Proposal Seven
                 Background. Proposal Seven relates to the methodology used to
                allocate accrued costs for supervisors at delivery units on Sundays and
                holidays. Petition, Proposal Seven at 1. Total costs for supervisors
                are developed in the Cost and Revenue Analysis (CRA). Id. Currently,
                the share of these total costs for supervisors at customer service
                offices on Sundays and holidays is determined using sampling from the
                In-Office Cost System (IOCS). Id.
                 Proposal. The Postal Service's proposal seeks to replace the IOCS
                sampling used in the current methodology with data from the Time and
                Attendance Collection System (TACS). Id. Under the revised methodology,
                the Postal Service would ``determine the share of costs for supervisors
                at delivery units on Sundays and holidays, and then distribute these
                costs to products using the same distribution key used for city
                carriers delivering packages on Sundays and holidays.'' Id. at 2. The
                share of the costs ``would be calculated by using the share of wage-
                adjusted workhours clocked to corresponding supervisor activities and
                represented by a new IOCS activity code 7720.'' Id. The costs would
                then be allocated to products by using the Product Tracking and
                Reporting (PTR) distribution key for products delivered on Sundays and
                holidays. Id.
                 Rationale and impact. The Postal Service notes that Proposal Seven
                would update the methodology for costs for supervisors on Sundays and
                holidays to be ``consistent with the recently approved change to the
                costing for city carriers on those days.'' Id. at 3. The Postal Service
                comments that TACS clock ring data ``provides a more robust estimate of
                supervisor costs.'' Id. The Postal Service states that IOCS sampling
                presents ``practical challenges . . . that may lead to systematic
                errors in the IOCS-based estimates of total costs for carrier work
                assignments, which includes acting as a supervisor.'' Id. For this
                reason, the Postal Service argues that the proposed methodology ``would
                eliminate a potential source of bias.'' Id. at 4.
                III. Notice and Comment
                 The Commission establishes Docket No. RM2019-12 for consideration
                of matters raised by the Petition. More information on the Petition may
                be accessed via the Commission's website at http://www.prc.gov.
                Interested persons may submit comments on the Petition and Proposal
                Seven no later than September 26, 2019. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505,
                Lawrence Fenster is designated as an officer of the Commission (Public
                Representative) to represent the interests of the general public in
                this proceeding.
                IV. Ordering Paragraphs
                 It is ordered:
                 1. The Commission establishes Docket No. RM2019-12 for
                consideration of the matters raised by the Petition of the United
                States Postal Service for the Initiation of a Proceeding to Consider
                Proposed Changes in Analytical Principles (Proposal Seven), filed
                August 23, 2019.
                 2. Comments by interested persons in this proceeding are due no
                later than September 26, 2019.
                 3. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, the Commission appoints Lawrence
                Fenster to serve as an officer of the Commission (Public
                Representative) to represent the interests of the general public in
                this docket.
                 4. The Secretary shall arrange for publication of this order in the
                Federal Register.
                 By the Commission.
                Darcie S. Tokioka,
                Acting Secretary.
                [FR Doc. 2019-18748 Filed 8-29-19; 8:45 am]
                 BILLING CODE 7710-FW-P
                

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